Learning to Crochet

The past month at our home has been exciting (despite the weather) because I have been learning to crochet!  It is like a new dimension of the crafting world has finally been opened up to me.  I am having so much fun and have already turned out a half dozen dishcloths.  A dishcloth has to be one of the best projects ever.  What a phenomenal way to learn and practice single crochet, half crochet, and half double crochet.  At the end of two hours of crocheting I have a finished project that makes a lovely gift.  

I actually learned to make a chain and single crochet while I was a bored sophomore in college.  As a resident assistant I had to sit at a desk for hours upon hours.  A friend showed me how to single crochet and I had a nice time making a scarf.  A few years later I found myself living on a Lakota-Sioux Native American Reservation.  We lived so far from a town that we had to drive four hours to the west or two hours to the east in order to even find a Walmart.  If you know me at all, you know how much I despise long trips in the car with nothing to do!  On one of those trips I picked up a crochet hook and a skein of yarn and began to single crochet a blanket.  It took me six months to finally finish but that blue blanket filled with memories (and many prayers) still rests at the foot of our bed every day.

When I found out two years later that I was pregnant with my first child I decided I was going to make a blanket.  Somehow that never came to fruition.  I picked a project that was WAY too difficult and time consuming.  I was a newlywed, taking way too many hours of graduate school, and suffering from a horrible case of all day morning sickness for months.  Nope that blanket just wasn't going to happen!

My renewed interest in crocheting occurred when my son Elijah begged me to make him a scarf.  He said he had always wanted his mommy to make him a really warm scarf.  Oh and it had to be red.  It was also very important that I actually make it, no Etsy stores or paying friends.  *Smile*  So what's a momma to do when her sweet, six-year old boy makes a request with such longing in his eyes and so much confidence in his heart?

I bought myself a crochet hook (that was totally the wrong size) and a skein of Lion Brand Home style yarn.  Despite my best attempt at crocheting, I did the whole thing completely wrong. My stitches were so tight that I could barely insert my hook! *Sad face*  I was blessed to have my crocheting friend Laura come and spend the weekend in January.  She lovingly, encouraged me to rip the entire thing out.  I am so glad that I did!  It turned out so much better than I could have imagined.  Eli is absolutely thrilled with his scarf (pictured below) and I am thrilled to be learning a new skill.

I also had a friend who showed me how to make a granny square one night after she came over for supper.   We had so much fun laughing as I tried to learn how to count stitches! I am sure I will be sewing some type of granny square project before the end of spring!  Over the past few weeks some type of crocheting project has accompanied me almost everywhere that I have been.  I can't believe how relaxing and therapeutic crocheting has been (especially at therapy and Evangeline's many appointments.)  It's also great that I can continue working on gifts when I am not at home with my sewing machine.  

One of the neatest things about learning to crochet is realizing just how many people also share a love for all things crochet!  There are so many more ladies in my life who crochet than who enjoy sewing.  My favorite memories of crocheting this month have involved making granny squares with Kelly, an entire weekend of crocheting with Laura (I made a scarf and blanket edging), and crocheting with my mother-in-law yesterday.  I'm looking forward to lots more memory making with a skein of yarn and making gifts to bless my family and others.

Perhaps I should add a section to my monthly sewing posts about what I have been crocheting that month?  What do you think?

You might also be interested in:

December Sewing & Christmas Gifts
November Sewing Projects
You can also click the "Sewing" tab at the top of my blog to see all of the sewing related posts.